EFFECTS OF STERILE MEDITERRANEAN FRUIT-FLY (DIPTERA, TEPHRITIDAE) RELEASES ON THE TARGET SPECIES, A NONTARGET TEPHRITID, AND A BRACONID PARASITOID (HYMENOPTERA, BRACONIDAE) IN COMMERCIAL COFFEE FIELDS

A 2-yr program of sterile Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), releases (yr 1: 535 million; yr 2: 941 million flies) was conducted on Kauai Island, HI., in commercial coffee (Coffea arabica L.) fields. Fruit collections were used to estimate relative abundance s of (1) C. capitata, the target species; (2) oriental fruit fly, Bact rocera dorsalis (Hendel), a potential competing fruit fly species; and (3) a beneficial wasp, Biosteres arisanus (Sonan), that attacks both fruit flies. During season 2, C. capitata abundance in the treatment a rea was suppressed by as much as 56% compared with the control area. I n contrast, the number of B. dorsalis in treated coffee fields was wit hin 6% of that in the control field for both years of the study, indic ating that its abundance was not affected by C. capitata sterile relea ses. Numbers of B. dorsalis were not correlated with those of C. capit ata, suggesting that these tephritids were not competitors in that hab itat at that time. C. capitata and B. arisanus abundances were correla ted positively in two of the four situations studied. Mean numbers of B. arisanus per 100 fruits in treated fields were 5.3 and 3.2 during s easons 1 and 2, respectively. Data suggest that high numbers of B. ari sanus remain in a habitat inundated with sterile flies and that steril e C. capitata releases are compatible with B. arisanus parasitism for fruit fly control.